2004 FINAL OLYMPIC RIFLE, PISTOL and RUNNING TARGET TEAM TRI

[USAS]

2004 FINAL OLYMPIC RIFLE, PISTOL and RUNNING TARGET TEAM TRIALS

FORT BENNING, Ga. – With the Rifle Olympic Selection finally underway at Fort Benning’s Pool Ranges, the men and women are both engaged in a tight battle for the first four positions on the 2004 Olympic Team.

The first two events that will be decided are men’s air rifle and women’s three position, and with over 40 men and 30 women competing for their respective top-two spots-- the intensity is already being felt.

Each event will span over the course of three days, each day ending with a final competition. After all three days are over a composite score will be calculated and the top-two from the event will be selected to the Olympic Team heading to Greece this summer.

In today’s men’s air event, Matthew Emmons (Browns Mills, N.J.) led the way into the final round with a 593. Emmons held strong and finished in first with a total score of 694.9. Just behind him is Spc. Trevor Gathman of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), with a 694.1. Gathman was tied with Chris Abalo, a National Development Team member from Glendora, Calif., but beat him in a shoot-off for a second-place finish. Matthew Rawlings, a 20-year-old from Wharton, Texas, was tied for first place going into the finals, however wasn’t able to hold onto a top-spot, hitting a 100.9 final, which dropped him to fourth. USAMU Staff Sgt. Jason Parker (Omaha, Neb.), a 2000 Olympian, finished fifth, with a 591 qualification score and a 102.4 final.

On the 50m range, the women’s three-position event was just as competitive. Amber Darland, an Alaska native, was winning going into the finals, but then fell to second place after a 96.6 final’s score. Morgan Hicks took full advantage and clinched first place with a 679.7 total score, one point ahead of Darland. In third place, is Emily Caruso, who finished with a 677.0. Jamie Beyerle is still hanging in there with a 676.2, while Sarah Blakeslee, who entered the finals tied for third with a 580, fell a few spots after her 95.2 final for a fifth-place landing point. Everyone starts with a clean slate tomorrow, however, so nothing is locked in stone yet.






Newsline No. 1 ◄
Editor: Sara Greenlee


Yesterday
AT THE RANGES
Official Training Day

Today
AT THE RANGES
Men’s10m Air Rifle Matches and Finals
Women’s 50m 3-position Rifle Matches and Finals

Saturday
AT THE RANGES
Men’s10m Air Rifle Matches and Finals
Women’s 50m 3-position Rifle Matches and Finals

Sunday
AT THE RANGES
Men’s10m Air Rifle Matches, Finals, and Awards
Women’s 50m 3-position Rifle Matches, Finals and Awards


Men’s Air Rifle
Finalists
1. Matt Emmons, 694.9; 2. Trevor Gathman, 694.1 (10.5); 3. Chris Abalo, 694.1 (9.7); 4. Matt Rawlings, 693.9; 5. Jason Parker, 693.4; 6. Ryan Tanoe, 692.9; 7. Jason Labella, 688.1; 8. Eric Uptagrafft 687.8.


Women’s 3-Position Rifle
Finalists
1. Morgan Hicks, 679.7; 2. Amber Darland, 678.6; 3. Emily Caruso, 677.0; 4. Jamie Beyerle, 676.2; 5. Sarah Blakeslee, 675.2; 6. Alicia Sawyer, 669.9; 7. Lindsey Meagher, 669.1; 8. Hattie Johnson, 665.6.



For more information or full results please log onto www.usashooting.org.